Meet our Team Worldwide Runners – it’s Liam O’Sullivan!

To take part in such an iconic race through the sights and sounds of London is something that many people spend years dreaming of. One of our supporters, Liam Roberts O’Sullivan, is realising his dream of running the London Marathon this year in memory of his dad, Kevin, who took part in one of the first ever London Marathons in 1983.

“Growing up, we did a lot of running together,” says Liam. “It was always my dad’s dream for us to run the London Marathon together. But as I grew up, I fell out of love with it. When my dad was ill and then passed away, I decided that it was time for me to finally do it in his honour.”

Liam’s dad Kevin O’Sullivan was diagnosed with Oesophagus cancer at the end of 2016. Sadly, he passed away in May 2017 at the age of just 60.

“Dad passed away peacefully at home. The cancer had spread so quickly and robbed him, like many others, of time and life he still had to live,” says Liam. “Running suddenly became my way of dealing with the guilt, the anger, the sadness. Running helped me focus my thoughts and keep my mind healthy.”

Kevin O’Sullivan worked as a Deputy Head at a junior school and retired only a couple of years before he died.

“Generations of people knew him, and he ended up teaching children whose parents he had taught,” says Liam. “He’s my inspiration for running, it’s such a shame that we never got to run the marathon together as he wished.”

Liam set it upon himself to run the marathon himself for a charity close to him and his dad. “I tried the ballot a couple of times for a place to run but was unsuccessful but then I found out about Worldwide Cancer Research on Twitter and I took it as a sign, it was the perfect opportunity,” he says.

“The charity spoke to me and I learned that they currently have a study underway in Belgium to further understand oesophagus cancer. More than 8,500 new cases of Oesophageal cancer are diagnosed in the UK every year. That means over 23 people receive a diagnosis every day. This is why such research is vital and I wanted to help.”

Liam’s father had the race time of 4 hours and 19 minutes and Liam is hoping to better it and complete the marathon in a time close to 4 hours. He hopes to raise £2500 for Worldwide Cancer Research.

If you’ve been inspired by Liam's story and would love to be part of Team Worldwide, check out our list of fantastic events suitable for everyone! And if you would like to donate in support of the incredible work Worldwide Cancer Research funds, please click here.